September 2007 MedBytes: Tort Reform

September marks the four-year anniversary of the enactment of
the Medical Malpractice and Tort Reform Act of 2003 and the passage
of Proposition 12, an amendment to the Texas Constitution that caps
noneconomic damages in health care liability cases. Physicians can
stay abreast of efforts to preserve tort reform by frequenting the
Web sites below.

TexasMedical Association
The Texas Medical Association was instrumental in organizing
grassroots efforts among physicians to pass Proposition 12 in 2003.
Today, the association continues to fight to preserve the reforms
achieved through landmark legislation. The
Professional Liability Insurance Reform
section of TMA's Web site,
www.texmed.org
, features a Proposition 12 recap, as well as articles from
influential leaders such as Donald Patrick, MD, executive director
of the Texas Medical Board, and U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.
From the site's home page, select Governmental Affairs from the
menu on the left, and click on Professional Liability Insurance
Reform. You can share the history of Texas' tort reform victory
with physician groups by downloading the PowerPoint presentation in
the section. And learn more about medical liability insurance
premium cuts and insurance carriers in Texas.

American Medical Association
The American Medical Association is working on a federal level to
limit noneconomic damages in medical liability lawsuits while
supporting states classified as having a liability crisis. The
Medical Liability Reform section of the AMA's Web site,
www.ama-assn.org
, is a gold mine of resources on legislative activities, AMA
policies, and national reforms. To view the Medical Liability
Reform page, click on AMA Agenda from the home page, and select
Advocacy Efforts. The National Legislative Activities link directs
you to archives of AMA testimonies and letters to Congress. The
State Legislative Activities link will point you toward state laws
and legislative initiatives relating to tort reforms. If you're an
AMA member, you'll have access to all of the information in this
section of the site. Nonmembers have limited access.

American Tort Reform Association
Founded in 1986 by the American Medical Association and the
American Council of Engineering Companies, the American Tort Reform
Association (ATRA) is made up of state-based liability reform
coalitions backed by 135,000 grassroots supporters. The national
organization strives to make America's civil justice system more
fair, predictable, and efficient. The ATRA Web site,
www.atra.org
, presents its contents with a well-organized menu on the left side
of the screen. Read about the tort reform triumphs of Texas and
other states in the Tort Reform Works section, and become familiar
with ATRA's legislative agenda by clicking on Issues. One of the
more unique components of the site can be accessed by clicking on
Judicial Hellholes. You'll be directed to downloadable PDF annual
reports on America's most unfair jurisdictions in which to be
sued.

Doctors for Medical Liability Reform
Doctors for Medical Liability Reform (DMLR) is a coalition of
230,000 practicing medical specialists committed to protecting
patients' access to health care by supporting federal legislation
that will reform the medical liability system. Protect Patients
Now,
www.protectpatientsnow.org
, is a DMLR project to improve the medical liability landscape for
physicians, enabling them to continue practicing medicine. The
color-coded menu on the left side of the screen makes navigating
the site easy. Click on Multimedia to view a mini-documentary,
print advertising, TV newsmagazines, radio tours and news releases,
and downloads. Learn more about tort reform in Texas by clicking on
"Texas: A Miracle in the Making" at the bottom of the home page.
The Physicians link on the menu takes you to an order form for a
free Patient Outreach Kit with poster, brochure, petition postcard,
and button.

TexasAlliance for Patient Access
The Texas Alliance for Patient Access (TAPA), created in 2003, is a
coalition of doctors, hospitals, nursing homes, health care
professionals, and medical liability insurers working to improve
access to health care by passing meaningful and sustainable medical
liability reforms. TAPA's Web site,
www.tapa.info
, is easy to follow, with tabs at the top of the home page
outlining The Problem, Legislative Solution, Bills We Oppose,
Recently Passed Lawsuit Reforms, Prop 12, and Improving Access to
Care. For a virtual twist to the Web site's content, click on the
Video Clips tab to view TV news stories about tort reform. Stay up
to date on medical liability reform press coverage by visiting the
online Newsroom.

MedBytes is a quick look at new, or newly discovered, Web sites
of interest to Texas physicians. The column also highlights
features of the TMA Web site. If you know of some interesting
medical sites or have questions about how to use the TMA Web site,
e-mailCrystal Conde
.
Publication of information about Web sites in this column is
not to be considered an endorsement or approval by the Texas
Medical Association of the sites or sponsors, or of any products or
services involved.